Door-operating mechanism for cars and the like.



A. CAMPBELL.

Qoo OPERATING MECHANISM FOR CARS AND THE LIKE.

APPLiCATlON FILED AUG-20. i912- I .Patented Feb. 19, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

OOO@

OOOOO A. CAMPBELL.

DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM FOR CARS AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-20. 1917.

2 sHEETs-SHEET 2.

Z4 E fyy@ @WM ZW. #072g s sans IQFA.

ARGYLE CAMPBELL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO ENTERPRISE RAILWAYEQUIPMENT COMPANY, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DOOR-OPERATING MECHANISIVI FOR CARS AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 19, 1918.

Application filed August 20, 1917. Serial No. 187,125.

To all 'whom it may Concern:

Be it known that I, Anemia CAMPBELL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Door-OperatingMechanism for Cars and the like, of which the following is a full,clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in dtor operating mechanism forcars and the The object of my invention is to provide a mechanism foroperating so-called twin hopper doors of hopper cars and similarconstructions, the mechanism being so arranged that, when the doors arein closed position, the mechanism is self-locked to prevent accidentalopening of the doors when the load is applied thereon and moreespecially, the invention contemplates a mechanism of the type aboveindicated which is composed of a minimum number of parts to therebydecrease cost, prevent possibility of getting out 0f order and insuregreater certainty in the self-locking feature.

In the drawing forming a part of this specification, Figure lis a sideelevation of a portion of a hopper car of a type to which myimprovements are especially adapted, there being two hoppers of the carshown. Fig. 2 is a top plan view taken on a level with the tops of thecenter sills of the car and illustrating more particularly the improveddoor locking mechanism. Fig. 3 is a vertical, sectional view takensubstantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 and showing the positionoccupied by the parts when the doors are in closed position. Fig. et isa vertical, transverse, sectional view corresponding substantially tothe section line 4-11 of Fig. 3. And Fig. 5 is a view corresponding toFig. 3, but illustrating the po sition of the parts when the doors arein open position.

In said drawing, the car is designated generally by the reference A andis of that type having` four sets of hoppers between the trucks on eachside of the center sill. Fig. 1 illustrates that portion of the car be*tween'one of the trucks and the transverse center of the car. The car isprovided with the usual center sill construction comprising a pair ofoutwardly turned channels 10-10, as most clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 4.Each hopper, on each side of the center sill, is provided with twinhopper doors 11-11, the same being pivotally supported as indi cated at12-12 and the doors being adapted to have their free edges meet when thedoors are in closed position. Each pair of doors 11 which are intransverse alinement are connected by a transversely extending U- shapedcross bar 13 so that all the doors for each pair of transversely alinedhoppers are operated simultaneously.

The operating mechanism which I have designed is arranged as follows:Secured to the inner faces of the channel center sills 10-10 are bearingbrackets 14T-111- which support a short shaft 15. Mounted on the shaft15, which is of non-circular cross section intermediate its ends, aretwo sheavewheels 16-16 and a. drum or hub 17 interposed therebetween. Aswill be understood, the sheave-wheels 16 and drum 17 fit the shaft 15 soas to move in unison therewith. The drum 17, when the doors are inclosed position, as illustrated in Fig. 3, is provided with a forkedlever arm 18 which extends downwardly and has pivotally connectedthereto, as indicated at 19, a. link 2O which has an angular orhook-shaped end 21. The link 2O is preferably made from two similarlyshaped elements 12C-120 held in spaced relation between the forks of thearm 18, as most clearly appears from Fig. 3. The link 20, when the doorsare in closed position, extends upwardly and is inclined from thevertical toward the center line of the shaft 15, as appears from Fig. 3,and the hook-shaped end 21 thereof is supported on a ledge or shelfportion 22 of the hub 17. The elements 120 of the link 20 rest againstcorrespondingly disposed shoulders 123 on the hub 17.

From the cross bar 13 connecting one pair of doors 11, extends anadjustable eye-bolt 24 to which is pivotally connected a hookshaped link25 formed of two like elements 125-125 fitted over the two elements120-120. The hook-shaped end 26 of said link 25 is pivotally connectedto the link 20, as by a rivet 27, at a point substantially at the anglebetween the main portion of the link 20 and its hook-shaped end 21, aswill appear from an inspection of Fig. 5. To the other cross bar 13connecting the opf the center of the shaft 15.

posed set of doors 11 is adjustably attached an eye-bolt 28, the bolt 28having pivotally connected thereto a third hook-shaped link 29. Ihe link29 has the hook portion thereof 30 pivotally connected to the end of theextension 21 of the link 20, as indicated at 3l, and which is mostclearly shown in Fig. 5. The link 29 is preferably made forked below theline 32 so that the Yforked portions of said link are adapted tostraddle the eye-bolt 28 and be pivotally connected thereto. At itsupperend, the link 29 is fitted between the elements 120-120 and pivotedthereto as by the countersunk rivet indicated at 31. `When the doors arein closed position, the hook-shaped portion 26 of the link 25 is adaptedto rest also on said ledge or bearing portion 22 of the hub 17 and thehook-shaped portion 30 of the forks of the link 29 rest upon a ledge122V of the hub 17 and both links 25 and 29 are adapted to bear againstthe hub 17 on the left hand side thereof, as viewed in Fig. 3.

From the sheave-wheels 16-16 extend chains 34; and 85, said chainslrunning over other sheave-wheels 36-36 mounted on a transverselyextending shaft 37. The shaft 37 is extended tothe side of the car andis provided on the end thereof with a squared section 38 by which it canbe operated with a claw bar or other suitable instrument. To lock theshaft 88 against accidental rotation, it is provided with a ratchetwheel 39l in the usual manner with which cooperates a pawl 40, the pawlbeing locked by a dog 41.

By referring to Fig. 3, it will be seen that the line B-B which extendsbetween the pivotal connection 27 and the point Yof pivotal connectionbetween the link 25 and its door 11 is located to the right hand side ofthe center of the shaft 15. Similarly, the line C-C which extendsbetween the pivotal connection 31 and the connection between the link 29and its corresponding door 11 is also located to the right hand sideofConsequently, when the doors are in closed position, as shown in Fig. 3,there will be no tendency for the load on the doors 11 to rotate theshaft 15 in an unwinding or counter-clockwise direction. In other words,all load on y the doors will be transferred to the shaft 15 effectthereon.

without exertingany turning or torsional lVith this construction. bothof the twin doors of each set are independently locked with respect tothe shaft so as to prevent unwinding of the door operating mechanism;Furthermore, it willbe noted that there are only three linksinterposed'between the hub and the twin hopper doors, an absoluteminimum number of parts. This reduces'the cost of material, simplifiesthe construction and minimizes danger of the' parts becoming distortedor broken during operation. As will be understood, the shaft 37 whenrotated in one direction will operi ate one chain to rotate the shaft 15in a clockwise direction and vice versa through the other chain torotate the shaft 15 in a counter-clockwise direction.

Although I have herein shown and described what I now consider thepreferred manner of carrying out my invention, the same is merelyillustrative and I contemplate all changes and modifications that comewithin the scope of the claims appended hereto. i

I claim: Y v

1. In door operating mechanism for a hopper ear or the like having twinarranged pivoted doors, the combination with a shaft located above thedoors, of a hub on said shaft, a link pivotally connected at one end tosaid hub and at its opposite end provided with an angular extension, ahangerV link pivotally connected at one end to said angular extensionand at its opposite end to one of said doors, and a second hanger linkalso pivotally connected at one endto. said first named link and at itsoppositeend to the other door.

2. In door operating mechanism for a` hopper car or the like having twinarrangedl pivoted doors, the combination with a shaft located above thedoors, of a hub on said shaft, a link pivotally connected at one end tosaid hub and atl its opposite end provided with an angular extension, ahanger link pivotally connected at one end to said angular extension andat its opposite end to one of saidfdoors, and a second hanger link alsopivotally connected at one end to said first named link and at itsopposite end to the other door, said hanger links, when the doors are inclosedposition, being supported from said hub and having the lineslocated by the pivotal connections between each hanger link and itscorresponding door and the con= nections between each hanger link andthe first named link beyond the center: of the shaft. Y

3'. In door operating mechanism for a hopper car or the like having twinarranged pivoted doors, the combination with a shaft, of a hub mountedon said shaft, and three links each having'a hooksshaped end,v one ofsaid linksxbeing pivotally connected at its plain end to the hub, eachof the other two links being also pivotally connected atits plain end toa door and said two last named links having. their hook-shaped endspivotally connected to the hook-shaped end of the link pivotallyconnected to the hub.

Y et. In doorY operating mechanism for a hopper car or the likehavingtwin arranged pivoted doors, the combination with a shaft,

of a hub mounted on said shaft, and three links each having ahook-shaped end, one of said links being pivotally connected at its isoplain end to the hub, each of the other two links being also pivotallyconnected at its plain end to a door and said two last named linkshaving their hook-shaped ends pivotally-connected to the hook-shaped endof the link pivotally connected to the hub` the hook-shaped ends of allthree links being supported on the top of the hub when the doors are inclosed position.

5. In a hoppei1 car, the combination with a pair of pivotally mountedhopper doors adapted to have their free edges meet when the doors are inclosed position, of a shaft disposed above the meeting edges of thedoors, a hub mounted on said shaft, a hookshaped link pivotally attachedat one end to said hub, a hook-shaped link pivotall7 connected at oneend to one of said doors and at its opposite end to the end of saidfirst named link, and a third hook-shaped link pivotally connected atone end to the other of said doors and at its opposite end to the firstnamed link at a point removed from the end thereof, the pivotalconnections between various parts being so arranged that, when the doorsare in closed position, the load will eXert no tendency to rotate saidshaft in an unwindingvdlrection.

6. In door operating mechanism for a hopper car and thelike having twinarranged pivoted doors, the combination with a shaft, of a hub mountedon said shaft, a link pivotally connected to said hub, said linkcomprising a pair of spaced elements hookshaped at one end, ahook-shaped link pivotally connected at one end to one of said doors andpivotally connected at its opposite end to the rst named link andfitting between the elements comprising the latter, of a third linkpivotally connected at one end to the other of said doors, said thirdlink being formed of two spaced elements straddling the second namedlink and pivotally connected at its opposite end to the outer sides ofthe two elements forming the irst named link.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my namethis 8 day of Aug. 1917.

ARGYLE CAMPBELL.

Copies of this patent may,r be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

